Process of decomposing natural silicates containing potassium and aluminum.



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SAMUEL PEACOCK OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 INTERNATIONAL AGRIC'D'Ir TURAL CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CURPOBPLTION 0F N33)? .Z'GRK.

PROCESS OF 'IJECOMPOSING NATURAL SITQIGATES CONTAINlNG PO'IA$SIUI\ AND ALUMINUM.

1560 Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL Pnsooon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Decomposing sium and Aluminum; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a process of de-- composing natural silicates, and recovering a large proportion of their contained potassium and aluminum in combination while at the same time forming compounds containing fixed nitrogen having a high for tilizer value.

T he object of the invention is to attain the above results in a simple, expeditious and comparatively inexpensive manner; and to these ends the invention consists in the novel steps constituting my process as will be more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my process, I finely divide a natural silicate rock carrying potassium and aluminum, such as feldspar, leircite, etc, and mix the same with finely divided carbon in suitable proportions when the mixture is heated by any suitable means in an atmosphere of nitrogen to a temperature of, say,v

between 1600" G. and 2000C., when it will be found that the reaction, which really be gins at about 14.00 0.; spreads until sub stantially all the potassium and aluminum is displaced or changed. into corbo'nitrids. Usin r ortho-elose feldspar as an illustration, the reaction proceeds as follows in order to produce ammonia from the carbo-nitrids obtained by my process, it is only necessary to subject the said carbonitrids' to the action of superheated steam in an autoclave at a pressure exceeding four Specification of Letters Patent.

Natural Silicates Containing Potas Patent-ed list. 7233,

Application filed July 3, 1912. Serial 150, 708,27

or five atmospheres, when ammonia will be produced in accordance with the following equations The temperatures mentioned may be low- 'l'orms suitable for conversion into valuable industrial compounds such as potassium carbouatc, aluminum oxid, and ammonia. will be further observed that all the steps, even those for the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen are expeditious, simple and less er.- pensive than those hcretoiore proposed for this purpose.

\ hilt' l claim is? l. The process of decomposing natural silicate rocks containing potassium and aluminum and recovering compounds of said metals which consi is in. heating a mixture ct said silicate rock and carbon in an atmos phere substantially devoid of: free oxygen in the presence of nitrogen to temperature above 1600" O; and suitably reccn the metallic carbo- ."s thus formed, sub stantially as (lQSCIlbCQl The process of decomposing natural silicates containing potassium and aluminum and recovering compounds of said metals which consists in heating a mixture of saidsilicates and carbon in an atmosphere oi nitrogen to a temperature suiiicicnl; to bring about the reaction; sweeping nitro gen above the mixture to lower the partial pressures o'lithe reaction products; suitably recovering the metallic carho-nitrids thus formed, substantially as described.

The process of forming potassium and lit aluminum carbo-nitrids from a natural sili; In testimony whereof, I affix my signature,

cute rock which consists in heating a mixin presence of two Witnesses;

ture of said rock and carbon injhe presence SAMUEL PEACOCK.

of free nitrogen to a temperature above Witnesses: 5 1600 (3., thereby formin said carb'o-nitrids, D; S. TOVELL,

substantially as describea. I R. S. CHILTON. 

